Rotary engine.



No. 883,138. PATENT-BD MAR. 31, 1908. G. GAUSE c P. GONRADY. ROTARYENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T 1e 19ne 4 I TCR3 @www I La. P ./MMQ y No.,883,188.l PATENTED MAR.' 31, 1908.

C. GAUSE P. CONRADY. Y

ROTARY ENGINE.

. APPLICATION FILED OGTJB. 1906.

s exams-s112212.

rHE NaRRls PETERS ca., wAsumcmN. n. c.

CARL GAUSE AND PHILIPP CONRADYU OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed October 16, 1906.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL GAUsE and PHILIPP CONRADY, subjects of theGerman Emperor, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to rotary engines, having rotating pistonsor cylinders, and in which a plurality of flaps are employed which arehinged on the piston or cylinder. These flaps effect a rotation of saidparts under the action of the propellant. On the other hand, if eithercylinder or piston is driven, these flaps move a liquid or gaseous fluidthrough the apparatus. Such machines may therefore be used both as primemovers as well as motors, or as pumps, or as measuring devices. Steam,oompressed air, water under pressure, explosive gases or other suitablemeans may be used as propellant. Hitherto, in similar machines, theflaps were arranged in such a manner at the periphery either of thepiston or of the cylinder, that the rotating parts always slid overeachof the fiaps in the same direction. In such an arrangement the flapsmay be described as being arranged. one behind the other or in series.In other machines the flaps have been situated in the same cylinder,some being mounted on the cylinder, and some on the piston. In that casethe flaps had to slide one over another when the machine moved, anarrangement which, in any case, is not advantageous. If, moreover, fiapshave also been occasionally arranged situated opposite one another inmachines in which the flaps are hinged only on the cylinder or only onthe piston, the sole purpose of this was to effect a rotation of theengine in a different direction, either the flapsl lying in the onedirection or those lying in the other direction working, whereas theflaps situated opposite to one another were not simultaneouslyoperative. Or the flaps were arranged two and two, so that of each pairof flaps the individual flaps were situated one opposite another. Theflaps then worked in such a manner that every pair of flaps impartedmotion to the piston in the same direction. The space between thecylinder and piston was divided in that case into a number of spaceswhich were not equivalent one `with another. For only the space betweentwo flaps of a pair of flaps were Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 31, 1908.

Serial No. 339,270.

working spaces the space between two flaps belonging to different pairsof flaps were empty and. therefore noxious.

Now according to the present invention the fiaps are arranged also twoand two, one opposite another, in pairs, so that the same work in pairs.But the spaces inclosed by these pairs of flaps are not the only workingspaces, in which case the other spaces, namely those between the pairsof flaps, would be idle and empty. On the contrary, all the spacesbetween thev different flaps are usefully employed, either underpressure or suction as the case may be. Hereby all the disadvantages ofthe last mentioned kind of machines are avoided, and the advantages arefor the first time really obtained which result from the arrangement offlaps situated one opposite another.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference ismade to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1. to S representvarious embodiments of the invention somewhat diagrammatically and Figs.9 to 14 in various more exactly drawn forms, and in which Fig. 1 shows across-section through a machine of the kind in which the flaps aremounted revolubly on the cylinder, Fig. 2 is a section through a similarform in which the supply of the fluids passing through the machine doesnot take place through openings in the sides of the cylinder', butthrough corresponding holes bored through the piston 5 Fig. 3 is asection of a form with flaps which are journaled at the circumference ofthe piston, and in which the supply and discharge of the propellant iseffected through the side of the cylinder, Fig. 4 is a section of amachine in which the flaps are journaled on the sides of the piston, thesupply and exhaust of the propellant taking place through the revolubleshaft of the piston; Fig. 5 isa section of a form with two pairs offlaps placed one opposite another and revoluble on the side of thecylinder 5 Fig. 6 is a section of a form similar so that in 5, in which,however, the concerned fluids are not admitted and eX- hausted throughborings in the piston, but through channels in the cylinder Fig. 7 is alongitudinal section of a form of machine corresponding to those shownin Figs. l and 6, Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a machinecorresponding to the forms according to Figs. 2 and 5 Fig. 9 is alongitudinal section of a triple expansion engine according to thesystem in accordance with the present invention, in which the differentengines lie one in another, and the cylinders of the interior enginesserve simultaneously as pistons of the exterior engines 3 Fig. 1() is across-section through a machine as shown in Fig. 9 Fig. 11 is anelevation, partly in section of a quadruple machine composed yof foursingle cylinders each cylinder having a piston. The four cylinders arecoupled two and two in a common casing, Fig. 12 is an elevation partlyin section of a machine in which the piston is stationary and thecylinder rotates 5 Fig. 13 is an elevation partly in section of aquadruple machine with two cylinder spaces of unequal size.

It is to be noted that the forms illustrated only represent the rincipalforms in which the invention may e employed. The number of flaps in eachcase may be varied as required, also the cross-section of the cylinderon the piston may be made, say, oval, instead o'l circular, according torequirements (see Fig. 2.)

The axis of rotation of the piston lies in the geometrical axis of thepiston itself, if the flaps are hinged. or revo uble on it; if the flapsare hinged on the cylinder the axis of rotation of the piston lies inthe geometrical axis of the cylinder.

It is to be noted that the arrangements here drawn, work, generallyspeaking, not only as described in each case, when, for example, in agiven case, the piston rotates and the cylinder is stationary, but thatthey also as a rule permit the reverse method of working, for example,in the latter case, the piston may be stationary and the cylinderrotate.

In order to describe in detail the manner in which the machine works itis supposed in the first place that Figs. 1 and 7 represent aconstruction which is preferably employed as a pump. In these figures 1is the cylinder, and 2 the piston which rotates round the shaft 3. 4 and5 are two flaps which are hinged on the slide of the cylinder. 6 is theport or opening for the admission and emission of the pro ellant. 7 isthe port or opening for the ac mission and emission of the iiuid to bepumped. The cylinder is divided by the two flaps 4 and 5 into the twospaces 8 and 9.

The cycle of operations in the motor is as follows The steam entering inthe first place at 6, presses on the flap 4 and the piston 2, in theposition shown in the drawing, and drives the latter in a clockwisedirection. This motion is continued until the piston arrives in front ofthe opening 7, an enlargement of the space 8 continually taking place.On the way from 6 to 7 the piston has pushed the fluid in the space 9out through the opening 7. When this opening is reached the admission ofsteam at 6 is cut off and this opening is connected with an exhaustconduit. Vice versa the connection of the opening 7 with the supply pipeis simultaneously cut off and this opening is connected with the sectionpipe for the liquid which is to be pumped. The piston which nowapproaches the opening 6 again reduces the space S, whereas it increasesthe space 9 and sucks up liquid here. /Vhen the piston is again pushedso far that it has passed the opening 6 and has approached the positionshown in Fig. 1 again, the connection of the pipes with the openings 6and 7 is again reversed. Thus this form represents a machine with asimple action which in itself does not advantageously perform work, butwhich however is preferably employed by combining several such machinesone with another, as will be described later. (See particularly Fig.11).

Two such machines as just described may be so driven that, instead oftheir being employed as pumps, they are used as combustion motors; thespace 9 of the one motor may be then used for the intake and compressionof the gas mixture which then undergoes combustion in the space 8 lofanother motor connected with it (see Fig. 13).

If the form represented in Figs. 1 and 7 is used as a steam engine, thetwo spaces 8 and 9 are both working spaces. pressure when steam entersvfrom pipe 6, the steam working on the flaps 4 and 5. Vhen the pistonhas commenced its vmotion and has passed the dead point, pipe 7 is openand connects space 9 with a condensing apparatus. A partial vacuum isthen formed in space 9 so that the piston is subjected to suction insaid space. l

Fig. 2 represents a form of the engine in cross-section in which apiston is employed which has an oval cross-section. Vhen the machine isused as a steam engine, steam enters through a pipe situated in theshaft of the piston. This is shown particularly in Fig. 8 inlongitudinal section. The steam which comes through the pipe 6 into thecylinder space 8 presses on the flaps 4 and 5 and drives the piston'.Before the opening of pipe 6 passes flaps 5, steam admission is Space 8is under cut off. The pipe 7 is already connected `with a condenser sothat a partial vacuum exists in space 9 and'this space works as asuction space. When the outlet of pipe 6 has passed flap 4 again, steamis again allowed to enter through pipe 6 into space S. Accordingly thisengine works doubleacting. Y

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of an engine, the axis of rotation of whichdoes not coincide with the axis of the cylinder, but is arrangedeccentric to the same in the shaft of the piston. The propellant whichenters through 6 into space 8 presses the flaps 4 and 5 against the sideof the cylinder and thereby rotates the piston. Pipe 7 is connected withthe condenser so that a partial vacuum is present in space 9. Beforeflap 5 passes over pipe 6, the admission of steam to space 8 is out offand is only effected again when flap 4 has also passed over port 6.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through a form which corresponds exactly withthat according to Fig. 3, except that the admission and exhaust conduitsare not situated in the cylinder, but in the piston.

In Fig. 5 there are four flaps hinged on the side of the cylinder, theflaps 4 and 5 on the one side and the flaps 4 and 5 on the other side.Each pair of flaps is arranged according to those shown in Fig. 2. Theseparate flaps which appertain to one another are, however, closertogether than in that case. An important result arising from thisarrangement of two pairs of flaps is that there is no dead point for thepiston. In the arrangement according to Fig. 1 there is a dead pointwhen the piston is in the center line through the ports 6 and 7, that iswhen the flaps 4 and 5 are both situated at the same angle with regardto the cylinder. But as there are four working spaces in the formsaccording to Figs. 5 and 6, as the piston is mounted eccentrically inthe cylinder, it is impossible for all the flaps in these four spaces tobe placed at the same angle with regard to the cylind er. Referring toFig. 5, when the piston has moved a little further than the position inwhich it is shown, the flaps inclosing spaces 10 and 11 aresymmetrically placed, but the flaps inclosing spaces 8 and 9 are not atequal angles with regard to the cylinder. If in Fig. 5 steam entersthrough port 6, it throws back the flaps 4 and 5 and presses on theflaps 4 and 5. In the position shown in the iigure however, the turningmoment on 4 is much greater than that on 5. The piston therefore rotatesin a clockwise direction. If on the contrary steam is allowed to flow inthrough 7, the steam pressure will become effective on the flaps 4 and5, and the piston will rotate in the opposite direction. The emission ofthe steam is effected through the opposite ort, thus either through 7 orthrough 6. nstead of working with only one port for the admission ofsteam and the like, and only one port for its emission, in such machineswhich have four cylinder spaces as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, two ports maybe provided for the admission and two for the emission of the propellantcorresponding to the four cylinder spaces. Such an arrangement isparticularly suitable when these rports are not arranged in the pistonbut in the cylinder as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 may be considered a longitudinal section of the machine shown inFig. 5.

Fig. 6 represents the cross-section of a pump with four flaps; Fig. 7may be used as a longitudinal section of the same. By th'e rotation ofthe piston 2 round the shaft 3 in a clockwise direction from belowupwards, the spaces 9, 1() and 11 become in the first place filled withliquid which is sucked through the admission port 7. In the meantime thespace 8 is diminished and the liquid contained in it is supplied to theexhaust pipe 6. When the piston goes further downwards during itsrotation, the liquid to be supplied is pressed out of the spaces 10 and11 into space 3, in order to be supplied later from here through 6.

Both forms, both that according to Fig. 5, as well as that according toFig. 6, require no distributing mechanism and valves even when they areworked alone without being coupled with another machine of the samekind. They are therefore particularly suitable for continuously pumpingmuddy liquids.

Figs. 9 and 10 represent, as already remarked, a triple expansionengine, the three single machines of which it is composed being situatedone in another. The manner in which the entire machine works is easilyunderstood from the description which follows hereafter. All thenumerals have the significations already attaching to them withreference to Figs. 1 to 8, in so far as they denote corresponding parts.In this case the steam which is to drive the engine enters through thepipe 6 shown in cross-section in Fig. 9, and is in the first placeconducted from there by means of slide valves 12 and 12 into theinterior of the cylinder 117, in which the piston 2 is driven round theshaft 3 by means of iiaps 13. The slide valves 12 and 12 are controlledby means of the eccentrics 12 and 12. The steam passes from cylinder 17into cylinder 18, its passage being regulated by the slide valves 12 and12. The cylinder 17 rotates in the cylinder 18 and operates as thepiston belonging to cylinder 18. The flaps 1.4 cause the rotation of 17in the inner space of 18 under the action of the steam. The steam goesfrom cylinder 18 again through the slide valve 12 and 12 into theoutermost cylinder 1, in which latter cylinder the cylinder 18 acts aspiston and is moved by means of the flaps 15. Lastly, the steam goesfrom cylinder 1 into the space serving as a steam jacket inclosed bycylinder 16 and from here into the exhaust pipe 7. It is to be notedhere that 19 is a crank of the shaft 3 situated in the inner piston 2and that the work done in the cylinders in rotating the same and thepiston is transmitted to the crank causing the shaft to rotate.

Fig. 11 shows a form in which four engines in all are arranged, of whicheach pair acting on one crank forms one group. In each group theconcerned motors are displaced 1.80O relatively to one another. The twogroups are displaced 9()o relatively to one another so that the primelever can start with certainty from all positions. It may `be drivenwith any suitable propellant; also it may serve as a pump withoutvarying the kind of build, in which case, of course, the ports areotherwise connected.

In the following description the machine is considered as working as agas motor. The gases to be employed enter into the first motor at 7, arecompressed in the chamber 9, go through the pipe 27 into the secondmotor where they are exploded in the chamber 8, and are exhaustedthrough the pipe 6. The second motor sucks the gases in at 7 These arecompressed in the chamber 9" and pass through the pipe 27 into the firstmotor in which they are exploded in the chamber 8. Lastly they areexhausted out of this chamber through 6. The cycle of events in thesecond group of motors is similar where the chambers 6, 6, etc.correspond to the spaces 6, 6', etc. in the drawings.

Fig. 12 represents a form in which the piston is stationary and thecylinder moves. In this case it is preferably worked with steam. Thisenters at 6, then goes through the channel 28 into the hollow cover ofthe cylinder which does not rotate with this but remains stationary. Itthen enters through ports into the cylinder which may be regulated bymeans of a slide valve. This is effected by meansof the crank 29 and theworm-wheel 30, in such amanner that the piston is rotated somewhat inthe cylinder and thus the steam admission ports are hereby varied moreor less. The steam exhaust is effected in a similar manner through thechannel 31 into the exhaust pipe 7. This engine according to Fig. 12corresponds to that according to Fig. 3 as regards its construction. Theadmission and emission ports for the propellant are not situated in theside of the cylinder however, but in one end of the same. Thisarrangement is necessary here because the cylinder of the engineaccording to Fig. 13 rotates and not the piston.

Fig. 13 shows a form of engine by way of example of the kind shown inFig. 2 in which two cylinders of unequal length work together. The steamenters at 6 and first flows through the one cylinder 1, and then theother cylinder 1, and lastly passes out through the shaft 3 at the otherend again. All the details correspond with those previously described.It may beadded that 32 represents a governor which regulates the supplyof steam through the shaft 3; further, 33, 33 represent springs whichare attached to the revoluble axles on which the flaps are mountedinside the machine, the purpose of said springs being to make theoperation of the flaps more certain. These springs 33, 33 are only showndiagrammatically. They operate by acting on levers arranged onextensions of the axles on which the iiaps are mounted. lIt is alsopossible to use an engine according to Fig, 13 so that this does notserve as a compound engine but as a gas engine with two distinct likemachines. The shorter cylinder l is then only used for the suction andcompression of the gases, whereas the cylinder 1- is used as thegenerator of power proper. Such arrangements are recommended if it iswished to work with a specially good utilization of the expanding gases.All engines here described may generally speaking run both forwards asWell as backwards. This occurs for example, in engines with four flaps,according as the steam or other propellant is allowed to enter throughthe openings 6 and 7, and to exhaust through the openings 7 and 6.

Engines which have two flaps may be run forwards or backwards accordingto the position of the pistons when the same are started. This may beexplained more fully by reference to Fig. 1. If, as in this case, thepiston 2 is situated in the position in which it is drawn, when theengine begins to run by steam being admitted through port 6, it willrotate in a clockwise direction. If on the other hand at thecommencement of running the piston be situated to the left of the linewhich may be thought of as passing through the center of the machine, itwill rotate in a counter clockwise direction. Further, in all theengines represented it is possible to assist the rotary movement of theiiaps in the direction desired by arranging a spring, such as, forexample, is represented in Fig. 13. These springs may be placed bothinside the engine, as also, if the engines should become too hot, theymay be so arranged that they engage outside by means of a lever on theaxles of the flaps concerned.

If the machines should become too hot it is likewise permissible tocover their interior chambers with a suitable layer of insulation. Thisinsulation may, of course, only be arranged where the separate parts donot slide over one another 5 it is particularly for use in the explosionchambers of engines employed as gas motors.

It is true that in many cases the machines do not require valve-gear,but in part they must be driven with such gearing. In this case thevalve-gear may be arranged, generally speaking, either as represented inFig. 12, for displacing the stationary part, or it may be so arranged,as shown in Fig. 13, for controlling a regulating device inside theshaft which varies the admission or emission of the propellant. Lastly,it is to be noted that the engines of the present kind which are used asgas engines may be set working again in a simple manner, after they havenot remained stationary for too long a time, by closing the exhaust pipeshortly before the conclusion of working, or by causing the stoppage ofthe same by shutting the exhaust pipe. In order to set the machine goingagain, it is then only necessary to open the exhaust pipe, whereby thepressures existing in the spaces which are not connected with it,occasion a rotation of the piston.

What we clairn as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. Engine of the type described7 coinprising in combination a cylinder,a drumshaped piston not touching` the periphery of said cylinder, a pairoi hinged iiaps forming partition-walls between the cylinder and thepiston, said fiaps being arranged opposite.

one another and being able to turn in an opposite direction and channelsarranged in such a manner that each cylinder space will be connected tothe corresponding channels.

2, Engine of the type described, cornprising in combination a cylinder,a drunishaped piston not touching the periphery of said cylinder', aplurality of pairs of hinged flaps, every two of said liaps beingsituated opposite yone another and being able to turn in an oppositedirection, whereby the cylinder-space is divided into two parts whichreceive the different pressures, and channels arranged in such a mannerthat each cylinder space will be connected to the correspondingchannels.

l Engine of the type described, coiny prising in combination a pluralityol cylinders and drum-shaped pistons, hinged iiaps in eachv cylinder,every two of said `flaps being situated opposite one another and beingable to turn. in an opposite direction, whereby the space ol eachcylinder' is divided into two parts which receive the differentpressures, and channels or pipes connecting the single spaces of thedifferent cylinders.

4, Engine of the type described, coinprising in combination a stationarycylinder,

| a crank-shaft, a drum-shaped piston in, and a ring-shaped pistonaround the said cylinder, another stationary cylinder around the latterpiston, both pistons connected to each other and'to the crank of thesaid shaft, flaps hinged to the cylinders and sliding on the pistons, ineach cylinder every two of said flaps being situated opposite oneanother and being able to turn in an opposite direction, whereby thespace of each cylinder is divided into two parts which receive thediiiierent pressures, openings leading to the single spaces of thecylinders, and slidevalves working on the said openings.

5. Engine of the type described, comprising in combination two cylindersarranged in juxtaposition, a crank-shaft the cranks of which beingrotated 18()O relatively to one another, two drum shaped pistons nottouching the periphery of the said cylinders and attached to the cranksol the said shaft in each cylinder, pairs of hinged flaps in thecylinders, every two of said l'laps being situated opposite one anotherand being able to l turn in an opposite direction, channels arranged insuch a manner that each cylinder space will be connected to thecorresponding channels, and pipes connecting the emission channel of theone and the admission channel of the other cylinder.

In testimony whereof we have signed our Witnesses:

VVOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HAsPER.

\ naines to this specification in the presence of

